Black Hearted Mage

On the edge of the cold wind mountain, where the breeze was blowing, in the deepest and most quiet part of the fire maple forest, the petite girl finally found the place where the snake had been spotted before.

Caesars carefully observed the surrounding terrain with a focused expression. He saw the fire maple trees here standing proudly on the sandstone ground. These trees looked extremely thick, but surprisingly, most of their roots were exposed on the ground without any cover.

Cautiously exploring with the aid of his magically nimble tentacles, Caesars keenly sensed the subtle traces left by the snake's slithering movements, and also detected the faint, almost imperceptible lingering traces of magic. Following the faint trail of the demonic serpent, they soon arrived at a small, unassuming stone cave.

"Jessica, that damn big snake is hiding in this cave, and according to my judgment, there may be several leaf snakes lurking in the cave!" Caesars said to the little girl beside him in a low voice.

After a careful investigation, Caesars was surprised to find that the small stone cave in front of him was not as deep as he had imagined. Inside the not-so-spacious cave, there were actually four or five huge leaf snakes lurking.

At this moment, the little girl Jessica suddenly shouted excitedly: "Wow, snake meat is quite delicious!"

Her words startled Caesar. Uncle Jack's family were ordinary people without any land of their own, relying on their meager wages to make ends meet. Furthermore, they had a pair of children to raise, so a meal of meat was simply a luxury for them.

Thinking of this, Caesars couldn't help but ask softly: "Jessica, how much salary does your father receive every month?"

"Two gold coins every month!" said the little girl.

"Only two gold coins, a bit too little!" Caesars responded.

"It's already a lot. The servants in the manor only earn twenty silver coins after working hard for a month!" The little girl argued.

"Jessica, I have good news for you. The leather of dead leaf snake is very valuable and can be sold for a lot of gold coins. Those pampered nobles in Fire Maple City like to use it to make belts, or make it into the outer layer of a scabbard. This piece of snake skin can be sold for hundreds of gold coins. We are going to make a fortune now!" Caesars said excitedly to the little girl beside him, with joy shining in his eyes.

When the little girl heard Caesars mention that snake skin could be exchanged for a lot of gold coins, she immediately grinned, and her smile was as bright as a flower blooming in spring.

"Caesars, then you should pick the biggest snake!" the little girl urged anxiously.

"No need, Jessica, I already have the skin of a dead leaf snake, and it's bigger than any other snake here. But don't come close, I'll catch these guys first. Dead leaf snakes are highly poisonous. If they bite you accidentally, it would be terrible." Caesars instructed the little girl with concern.

He concentrated his mind, mobilizing the magical energy within him, and instantly conjured an illusory mage's hand. The hand nimbly reached into the stone cave, accurately grasped a stout leaf snake, and carefully pulled it out of the cave. Then, like a magic trick, the mage's hand stuffed the writhing snakes one by one into the animal hide pouch he carried.

"Kaisas, is this magic? It's amazing!"

Caesars nodded and tied the animal skin bag tightly.

"Caesars, why don't you skin them now?" The little girl looked at her bulging pockets and licked her lips. She obviously wanted to eat the fresh and tender snake meat. Her eyes were full of confusion and expectation.

"Live snakes are more expensive! The nobles of Fire Maple City hope that the dead leaf snakes will grow bigger. Since dead leaf snakes cannot spray venom, they will raise them for a few years. During this period, they will force-feed the dead leaf snakes with food, which will make the snakes very fat!" Kaisas explained patiently, and the little girl couldn't help licking her lips.

"Are you going to Fire Maple City to sell snakes?"

"Well, there are many nobles there. I'll take you to the Duke's Palace in a few days!"

"Caesars, you're not exaggerating, are you? Do you know the Grand Duke of the Empire? Don't let the guards chase you away when you get to the Duke's Mansion!"

At that moment, Jackman appeared, wearing a brand new set of leather armor. The armor gleamed glossily in the sunlight, as if every inch had been meticulously polished. A long sword hung from his waist, its hilt inlaid with gemstones, its scabbard swaying constantly.

Jackman ran over hurriedly, his forehead covered with fine beads of sweat, but his eyes revealed a hint of worry.

"Caesars, someone from the Viscount's Manor said that someone wants to see you, and the other party is a magician from Fire Maple City!" Jackman said quickly while panting.

"A magician from Fire Maple City?"

Upon hearing this news, Caesars couldn't help but frown, feeling extremely confused. He thought to himself: I'm a stranger in the imperial capital, and I don't know any magicians at all, let alone one from Fire Maple City.

Caesar racked his brains for a long time, but still had no clue. At this time, Jackman nodded repeatedly and said affirmatively: "Yes, that's what the butler told me!"

Seeing this, Caesars felt that something was amiss, but he couldn't avoid seeing him. So, he took a deep breath and said, "Let's go and take a look!"

However, a faint unease lingered within Caesars. He wondered: Why would the magicians from Fire Maple City come to him for no apparent reason? He recalled what the butler had said the day before—when he first arrived at the Viscount's residence, the butler had complained about his late arrival. Could there be some connection between the two events? But he couldn't immediately figure it out.

With a heart full of questions, Caesars followed Jackman to the Viscount's manor. Jessica, who had been following beside him with a curious look on her face, was skipping along like a cheerful little bird.

After about a quarter of an hour's journey, they finally arrived at Viscount Salas's estate. The estate was vast, surrounded by lush greenery and vibrant flowers. After walking down a quiet path, they arrived at the estate's back garden.

In the back garden, besides five or six minor nobles in ornate robes, there stood an old man in a red robe and a pointed hat, quietly standing there. The magical fluctuations emanating from him revealed that he was none other than the magician from Fire Maple City.

"Do you want to see me?"

Caesars's eyes were sharp as he carefully looked up and down at the magician standing before him. He was wearing a gorgeous magic robe embroidered with flame-like patterns, and it was obvious that he was a master of fire magic.

On his chest, he wore a mage's badge from the Magic Guild. Crafted from three precious materials—gold, silver, and magic copper—it shone with a faint but striking light. However, it was noteworthy that the badge bore only two moon- and star-shaped insignias, clearly indicating that he was no more than a mid-level mage.

The old magician, who had been acting arrogant and domineering, showed a hint of doubt when his eyes met Caesars, as if he was very puzzled by this strange face; then, his eyes suddenly widened, and his face was full of disbelief; in the end, he seemed to realize something, and quickly straightened his originally hunched body, and bowed deeply to Caesars with an extremely respectful attitude.

The surrounding nobles, witnessing the old wizard's series of unusual actions, began to look gloomy and uncertain. Initially, they appeared to be enjoying the show, but as events unfolded, a sense of foreboding gradually grew within them. Several of them exchanged glances, as if they could read each other's inner thoughts—they had already guessed the final outcome, which would likely be far beyond anyone's expectations.

"Respected Master Mage!" The old mage took a deep breath, tried to calm himself down, and then slowly said: "Viscount Salas suspects that you are a fake magician, so he asked me to come and identify you!" After that, he turned his head slightly and glanced at Caesars beside him again with awe.

Caesars nodded expressionlessly and responded coldly, "If that's the case, then tell them your conclusion now."

Hearing this, the old wizard shuddered, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Despite facing immense pressure, he knew he couldn't retreat. He gathered his composure, clearing his throat and announcing, "After my careful assessment, I've determined that this wizard, though seemingly young, is a truly high-level wizard!"

As soon as the words fell, the whole place fell into a dead silence...

Several minor nobles were utterly shocked, but Caesars didn't give them time to question, "Viscount Sarath, I have a question. I'm not a visitor to your estate, I'm merely looking for my family. What are your motives for suspecting me?"

Viscount Salas was a little terrified. He didn't want to offend such a high-ranking magician, so after much hesitation, he spoke: "The reason I doubt you is mainly because you are too young. I am worried that you will ask for the recipe and brewing techniques of Fire Maple Wine!"

"This reason is a bit far-fetched, but I can barely accept it. Bring me a barrel of fire maple wine and let me taste it, and this unpleasant incident will be over!"

Jack's family will live in the Viscount's territory, and Caesars doesn't want to pursue the matter any further.

"Master Mage, it's my honor!"

I saw an old wine barrel being taken out from the storage ring by Viscount Salas. The wine barrel looked quite old, but it exuded a unique charm.

Caesars examined the slightly aged flame maple barrel with interest, a subtle glint in his eyes. After a moment's deliberation, he pocketed it without hesitation. The specially invited old wizard, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief. The people of the North Tower were notoriously difficult to deal with. If he insisted on investigating this matter, it would be difficult for anyone present to escape.

It's no secret that the magicians of the Northern Tower are renowned for their combat prowess, a stark contrast to those focused on academic research. For these Northern Tower wizards, if a problem can be resolved with force, they won't waste their breath on reasoning. In their view, only lessons learned through concrete actions are truly memorable and deeply felt.

"Your Excellency, may I borrow your carriage? I'm planning to go to Fire Maple City!"

It was Caesar who spoke. However, before Viscount Salas could respond, the old wizard beside him had already taken the initiative and extended a warm invitation: "Magician Caesar, I also happen to be returning to Fire Maple City. Why not join me in my carriage? It will be nice to have company on the journey."

Facing the old wizard's cordial invitation, Caesars simply smiled and waved his hand, politely declining, "Thank you for your kindness, but I'm not traveling to Fire Maple City alone this time. Besides, I have other important matters to attend to this afternoon, so I'd rather not trouble you."

Kaisas declined the old wizard's enthusiastic invitation without hesitation, thinking to himself: I don't want to have too much contact with those guys from the Wizards' Guild. You know, in the most strict sense, the relationship between the Magic Guild and the North Tower has never been harmonious, and it can even be said to be somewhat tense and hostile.

At this moment, Viscount Salas shouted, "Butler, quickly prepare a comfortable carriage for this distinguished wizard!"

Before he finished speaking, the loyal middle-aged butler trotted away from everyone's sight.

Caesars turned around and whispered a few words to Jackman beside him. Jackman nodded repeatedly and said that he would definitely inform his family about this matter.

Soon, an exquisitely decorated carriage slowly arrived before the crowd. Caesars and the little girl calmly boarded the carriage. The driver flicked his whip, and the wheels began to roll. As the carriage drifted further and further away, the young nobles and the old wizard watched it disappear at the end of the road. Once they were certain Caesars had completely departed, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

The old wizard complained with lingering fear, "Damn it! He's actually from the North Tower! I was so scared just now that I almost broke out in a cold sweat. If you still want to live longer, you must try not to mess with the people from the North Tower in the future. They're all lunatics!"

After hearing this, the others nodded in agreement, as if they had just experienced a thrilling adventure.